It is well known that when software is in operation in recent personal computers and game machines, etc., by a mouse pointer, a cursor, or the like being moved to an icon such as a specific symbol, character, etc. on the display screen, and by a switch provided on the input device such as a mouse being depressed (clicked), and so forth, the predetermined process corresponding to the selected symbol or character is performed. Such a device provided with the graphical user interface (GUI) is widely adopted without being limited to personal computers and game machines these days.
Recently, in the GUI, touch panels have frequently been used for selecting such the specific symbol, character, etc. The touch panels eliminate a need for moving a cursor and clicking a mouse, and allow a user to perform an operation by selecting the symbols and characters displayed as if he or she directly touches on them.
In addition, in the GUI, when a plurality of menus are displayed, and one item is selected from the plurality of menus according to a movement of the pointer and a touch operation, etc., the GUI sometimes displays an image corresponding to the selected item (submenu, for example). In such the GUI, a user sometimes moves the pointer or moves the finger in a touched state over the plurality of menus when hesitating what to select, and searching for the selection items, and so forth. In this case, the selection item results in being continuously changed to cause a sequential switch of the corresponding images, and therefore, there is a problem of making the menu image flicker and a screen hard to view. In addition, this results in a psychological burden to the user for a menu selection, and discomfort to the operation. In order to avoid this problem, a following technique has been applied.
For example, in the technique described in a reference 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-6212), in selecting an image such as a numeral, character, etc. by utilizing a touch panel provided and superposed on a display screen, input information can be obtained only once during a continuous input operation to thereby prevent a plurality of pieces of data being input. More specifically, in the technique, a flag indicating that the information input is valid or invalid is provided. The flag is set to invalid after the process of the first input to an effective area is performed. The setting of the flag as invalid is maintained until the finger is released once to cancel the touched state. When there is an input to the effective area, it is determined whether the flag is valid or invalid, and in the invalid case, the information input corresponding to the selection is never performed.
Furthermore, in the technique descried in a reference 2 (Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 11-127399), instability of selection by utilizing a touch panel due to quiver of the finger where icons are selected is prevented. More specifically, in accordance with this technique, a middle area with a predetermined width between the plurality of icons to be selected that does not reflect the change of the selected state is provided. Then, the previous selection is maintained even after the finger is moved to the middle area, and the selection is switched only when the finger moves to the area of another icon.
In the technique of the reference 1, if the touch input is continuously performed, the information input to the effective area is invalidated. Thus, in applying the technique, it is found that the images are never continuously switched responsive to a continuous touch input to the plurality of menus. However, the flag is set to be valid only after the end of the touch input, so that the user cannot perform the next information input without releasing the finger from the touch panel once. Accordingly, in a case of utilizing the touch panel, it is impossible to continuously input by sliding the finger, for example, causing inconvenience of the input operation and a problem in operability.
In addition, in the technique in the reference 2, failure of selecting icons is considered, but in applying the technique, when the finger passes through the non-reactive area, that is, the middle area, a corresponding image is switched and displayed. Accordingly, in performing a continuous touch input to the plurality of menus, a problem such as an image flicker is never solved. Also in the technique of the reference 2, due to the provision of the non-reactive area in addition to the touch-effective area of the icons, a load of the image processing may be increased.
Therefore, it is a feature of certain exemplary embodiments to provide an image processing apparatus and a storage medium storing an image processing program that, when a menu selection is made to display a corresponding image, flicker of an image due to switches of the images is reduced, and operability is improved.
An image processing apparatus according to certain exemplary embodiments is an image processing apparatus for displaying related images responsive to selection of the main menu icons, and comprises a display means, an input means, a storing means, a timer, a switch determining means, and an image switching means. The display means displays a plurality of main menu icons and a related image corresponding to a selected main menu icon. The input means inputs input data indicating a position on a screen of the display means in response to a user operation. The storing means stores at least data relating to the plurality of main menu icons, data relating to a plurality of related images brought into correspondence with the plurality of main menu icons, and an input history of the input means. The timer is reset when the selection of the main menu icon is changed, or when the display of the related image is switched, and is counted up to a predetermined value for each defined time. The switch determining means determines whether or not the display of the related image has to be switched on the basis of the input data from the input means and the data stored in the storing means when the timer holds the predetermined value. The image switching means switches the related image displayed on the display means to the image corresponding to the selected main menu icon when it is determined that the display of the related image has to be switched by the switch determining means.
More specifically, the image processing apparatus (10: a reference numeral corresponding in the embodiments described later, and so forth) is for displaying the related image in response to the selection of the main menu icon. The storing means (28a, 48, 74, 76, 78, 84, 86) stores the data relating to the plurality of main menu icons (90, 92, 94), the data relating to the plurality of related images (submenus) (100, 102), the data (78) indicating the history of the operation state of the touch panel (22) as an input means, and the data indicating the selected main menu icon (identifier of the main menu icon), data indicating a submenu displayed on the menu screen (identifier of submenu icon). The plurality of related images (submenus) are brought into correspondence with the plurality of main menu icons, and in the embodiment, each related image includes the plurality of submenu icons. The display means (14) displays the plurality of main menu icons and the related image corresponding to the selected main menu icon. The input means (22) inputs input data indicating a position on the screen of the display means in response to a user operation. The timer (82) is reset (set to a default value) when the selection of the main menu icon is changed, or when the display of the related image is switched, and counted up to a predetermined value for each defined time. In the embodiment, the timer is counted down for one display frame, and the default value is set to 30, and the predetermined value is set to 0, for example. When the timer holds the predetermined value, that is, when the predetermined time elapses after the change of the selection of the main menu icon, or the display of the related image is switched, the switch determining means (42, S29, S41) determines whether or not the display of the related image has to be switched on the basis of the input data and the data stored in the storing means. In the embodiment, it is determined whether or not the displayed related image and the selected main menu icon do not correspond with each other on the basis of the input data and the data in the storing means, or it is determined whether or not the selection of the main menu icon is changed on the basis of the input data and the data in the storing means. Then, as a result of the determination by the switch determining means, when it is determined that the display of the related image has to be switched, the image switching means (42, S31, S47, 50, 52, 56, 58) switches the related image displayed on the display means to the related image corresponding to the selected main menu icon.
Thus, where the timer holds the predetermined value, it is determined whether or not the display of the related image has to be switched. Then, when it is determined that the switch has to be made, the display of the related image is switched. Accordingly, where the timer holds the predetermined value, and it is determined that the switch has to be made, the related image corresponding to the selected main menu icon is displayed. On the other hand, the timer is reset when the selection of the main menu icon is changed, or when the display of the related image is changed, so that the timer is reset again when the selection of the main menu icon is changed before the predetermined time period elapses from the reset, for example. Accordingly, in a case that the selection of the main menu icon quickly continues to be changed, the timer never reaches the predetermined value, and therefore, the display of the related image is never switched. Consequently, the flicker due to the switch of the related image never occurs. In addition, in a case that the timer reaches the predetermined value, when it is determined that the display of the related image has to be switched, the related image is easily switched without a bothering operation of canceling an input once like the technique in the background of the invention, capable of improving in operability.
In one embodiment, the input means is a touch panel, and the switch determining means determines whether or not the display of the related image has to be switched irrespective of the value of the timer when it is determined that the touch panel is shifted from a no-input state to an input state on the basis of the input data and the data stored in the storing means.
More specifically, the switch determining means (42, S41) determines whether or not the display of the related image has to be switched irrespective of the value of the timer when it is determined that the touch panel is touched from the no-input state (78, S35). When it is determined that the switch has to be made as a result of the switch determining means, the image switching means switches the related image. Accordingly, when the touch panel is touched from the no-input state, the related image can be switched according to the user selection. That is, the user who has determined the selection need not wait for the predetermined time, providing superior operability.
In another embodiment, the switch determining means determines that the display of the related image has to be switched when it is determined that the selection of the main menu icon is changed (S41) or when it is determined that the displayed related image does not correspond to the selected main menu icon (S29), on the basis of the input data and the data stored in the storing means.
Accordingly, in a case that the timer reaches the predetermined value, when the selection of the main menu icon is changed, or when the displayed related image and the selected main menu icon do not correspond with each other, the display of the related image is switched by the image switching means. Thus, an image flicker never occurs, and it is possible to easily display the related image corresponding to the user selection.
In the other embodiment, the switch determining means determines that the display of the related image does not have to be switched when it is determined that the selection of the main menu icon is not changed (S41), or when it is determined that the displayed related image corresponds to the selected main menu icon (S29), on the basis of the input data and the data stored in the storing means.
Accordingly, when the selection of the main menu icon is not changed, or when the displayed related image and the selected main menu icon correspond with each other, even if the timer reaches the predetermined value, the display of the related image is not switched by the image switching means, capable of continuing to display the related image according to the user selection.
A storage medium storing an image processing program according to certain exemplary embodiments is a storage medium storing an image processing program of an image processing apparatus for displaying related images according to the selection of the main menu icons. The image processing apparatus comprises a display means for displaying a plurality of main menu icons and a related image corresponding to a selected main menu icon, an input means for inputting input data indicating a position on a screen of the display means in response to a user operation, a storing means for storing at least data relating to the plurality of main menu icons, data relating to the plurality of related images brought into correspondence with the plurality of main menu icons, and an input history of the input means, and a timer being reset when the selection of the main menu icon is changed, or when the display of the related image is switched, and counted up to a predetermined value for each defined time. The image processing program of the storing medium causes a processor of the image processing apparatus to execute a switch determining step and an image switching step. The switch determining step determines whether or not the display of the related image has to be switched on the basis of the input data from the input means and the data stored in the storing means when the timer holds the predetermined value. The image switching step switches the related image displayed on the display means to the related image corresponding to the selected main menu icon when it is determined that the display of the related image has to be switched by the switch determining step.
Furthermore, it may be a storage medium storing an image processing program corresponding to each of the embodiments of the above-described image processing apparatus.
In these storage medium storing image processing program also, similar to the above-described image processing apparatus, the flicker of the related image never occurs, providing superior operability.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, in a case that the timer holds the predetermined value, necessity of the switch of the related image is determined, and as a result, the related image is switched if necessary. In addition, the timer is reset when the selection of the main menu icon is changed, and so forth, so that where the selection of the main menu icon is continuously switched, the timer does not reach the predetermined value, eliminating the switch of the related image. Accordingly, a screen flicker never occurs to the related image due to the change of the selection of the menu icon. Also, in a case that it is determined the related image has to be switched, the related image can be switched without performing bothering operations, providing superior operability.
In addition, in a case that a necessity of switch of the related image is determined irrespective of the value of the timer when it is determined that the touch panel is touched from the no-input state, for example, the related image can immediately be switched responsive to the decided user selection, providing superior operability.
The above described and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.